Dress Historians Explain Cottagecore & Dark Academia's Connection to Victorian Aestheticism
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
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Dressed as in a Painting: Women and British Aestheticism in an Age of Reform by Kimberly Wahl: amzn.to/3wIAUK3 (affiliate)
Art for Art's Sake: Aestheticism in Victorian Painting by Elizabeth Prettejohn: amzn.to/3vKJ2Zk (affiliate)
Before Queer Theory: Victorian Aestheticism and the Self by Dustin Friedman: amzn.to/3gOHRCP (affiliate)
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Aesthetics like cottagecore, dark academia, goblin core, cabin core, cottagegore (dark cottagecore), fairycore, and more have exploded in popularity on tiktok, instagram, youtube, and facebook. These visually-driven subcultures can and have impacted and influenced how one dresses, the music you listen to, the books you read, and followers even identify with different ethos and lifestyle practices, like learning how to sew, cooking or baking, gardening, that are associated with different aesthetics.
But it's nothing that new, actually, in fact when you look at #aesthetics of 2020 and 2021 and Victorian Aestheticism, there are a lot of correlations and similarities that are fascinating to uncover - mostly because they don't seem to be intentional. at all. So, in this video, with the help of Dr. Robyne Calvert, Cultural Historian who is an expert in Victorian Aesethticism, we're going to dig into the similarities between Victorian Aestheticism and Neo-Aesethicism - from ethos, influences, their inherent "Englishness" and how this human desire to escape into a beautiful romantic world is nothing new.
And because aesthetics are so heavily invested in fashion, we're going to talk to the designer and co-founder of one of my favorite clothing lines, Voriagh, to ask her about why she designs aesthetic clothing, and how she came to be an aesthetic designer that is so beloved with cottagecore aesthetes.
🖼Images:
John Everett Millais, Spring (Apple Blossoms) 1859, Lady Lever Art Gallery, artuk.org/discover/artworks/s...
Virginia Dalrymple's Dress, www.wattsgallery.org.uk/about...
James Whistler, Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, 1862, National Gallery of Art, www.nga.gov/collection/art-ob...
Seated Female Figure, Godwin, 19th century, collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O6...
Self-Portrait, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1847, National Portrait Gallery,
www.npg.org.uk/collections/se...
Peacock Rooms, Smithsonian asia.si.edu/exhibition/the-pe...
George and Rosalind Howard, shortly after their marriage in 1864. Castle Howard, www.artandthecountryhouse.com...
Monna Rosa, Gabriel Rosseti, 1867, Wiki Art, www.wikiart.org/en/dante-gabr...
James Whistler, Symphony in Flesh Color and Pink: Portrait of Mrs. Frances Leyland, 1871-74, The Frick, collections.frick.org/view/obj...
Julia Margaret Cameron, Pomona, 1872, The met, www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
Oscar Wilde, Library of Congress,
www.loc.gov/pictures/item/985...
Ellen Epps, Portrait of Laura Alma Tadema in the Dutch Room at Townsend House, c. 1873, Wiki Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Patience Imagery: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patienc...)
Leighton House, www.artfund.org/whats-on/muse...
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I want to thank Dr. Calvert for her help and for sharing her knowledge for this video! Check out her website here: robynecalvert.com/ ❤
My outfits in this video were 100% Voriagh (except for the striped linen dress in one zoom meeting) check out Voriagh here: www.voriagh.com/ ❤
I have to be frank here: cottagecore offends me deeply. Millennials and the z-Gen peeps have this idea that what they’re doing is “just” an aesthetic, but that’s completely false. I’m an X-Gen farmer, agrarian, and you people are aping a generation of REAL DAY-TO-DAY RURAL LIFE that still exists for millions of people.
I get seriously annoyed by the constant intrusions by kids when I go to the city asking me where I get my “costumes.” Bitch, these are the same damned things I’ve been wearing since circa 1979, and NO, you may not buy it off my damned back, take photos, or get a pattern from me. It’s rude, obnoxious, and inappropriate. Learn some damned manners. This shit isn’t from “online,” it’s from growing up on a freaking commercial dairy farm in Eagle, Idaho, and continuing to farm in Ohio today.
@@RestingBitchface7 sorry people like your clothes?
@@sdg2450 it’s not about liking my clothes!!! It’s about being so shallow and clueless that I’m HARRASSED by strangers and interrogated just going to town because you all think that everyone around you has nothing better to do than LARP through life. It also has to do with being nagged by people I’ve never met for personal information that is none of their business for an “aesthetic.” It’s as irritating as hell, and it’s become a regular trial over the past three years, and makes going to town hell on earth.
@@RestingBitchface7 I am sorry to read, that you had such bad experiences, but that‘s not a problem of an aesthetic, it‘s a general clumsy way of people taking interest in someone. If you try drawing or painting in public, for example, you might get the same nosey, clueless questions even though you really only want to paint and absolutely did not want to be distracted by someone who doesn’t take your work/activity/lifestyle seriously.
Unnecessary pestering of people aside, a larger amount of people taking interest in crafts, gardening and cooking/baking again isn‘t such a bad thing is it?
@@anska7475 bullshit. One more time: there are MILLIONS of farmers and agrarians living rural life just like our grandparents and great-grandparents did before us. You all think that the clothes I’ve been wearing for my whole life are “escapist fashion;” they’re my freaking work clothes. You think that my house is some Tasha Tudor stage set; it’s the home I grew up in.
I’m not just talking about clueless questions. I’m talking about rotten, mannerless people pawing at me, grabbing at my hair sticks, fondling my skirts, FOLLOWING ME TO MY TRUCK AND FOLLOWING ME HOME [TRESPASSING] so that they can interrogate me about my “artistic license.” Asking to BUY the “vintage” clothes off my back. That’s harassment, not curious cluelessness, and it’s criminal behaviour and becoming more and more common. Because your generation has no boundaries or social skills.
You want to garden? Cook? Do crafts? Buy a freaking book. Go to school and talk to your grandmothers like normal people did before you. But don’t be assuming that anyone else wants to deal with you, don’t be taking photos of me, or grab me in the market aisles, or follow me home and violate my damned privacy. I’M NOT DOING ART IN THE PUBLIC PARK, I’M LIVING MY *PRIVATE* *REAL* LIFE AND RUNNING ERRANDS.
“Seen, safe and included???” That’s not how you idiots make people in my GENERATIONS’ OLD *COMMUNITY* of real lived experience feel, you make us feel violated. We actually do discuss it, too. And it needs to stop. It’s repulsive. So, *YES*, it is a bad thing. Learn some common etiquette.
Honestly, I feel that dark academia came from a generation that grew up with harry potter and grew as a reaction to the minimalist fashions associated with technology. With everything at hand over the Internet, people began wanting the mystique of old books and formal clothing.
And the lord of the rings movies.
I think another big part of it is that we as a generation were told to value further education as purely a career move. It’s not education for education’s sake- it’s university degrees purely to make money. Will that degree lead to a well paying job? If not, don’t do it.
Which means there’s been a general distaste for Arts and Humanities degrees. How many millennials have been told that they are the “would you like fries with that?” degrees?
I think dark academia is also a backlash to that very capitalistic view of education. Of course, being able to pursue further education purely to learn about subjects of interest, is something usually associated with the wealthy elites (and there’s certainly a very big connection to wealth in the entire aesthetic). Wealthy Victorian men were able to study philosophy, and it was something very connected to elitism. So we do need to keep that in mind as well.
Minimalist dress is Japanese designers taking the West by storm, and predates the internet. Dark academia is revisionist, it cannibalizes classic clothes and material culture that already have a place and a history. Look at Yale or the British universities, also poached for this movie set aesthetic.
Y E S
@@katherinemorelle7115 yes this! I've always thought of dark/light academia as romanticisation of the university experience. With the emphasis on classical and 20th century neo classical literature as well as philosophy, I think there's definitely a connection there to the academic culture of the past.
But the thing that I find interesting is that dark academia mostly takes its aesthetic influences from about the 1940s-1950s, which I personally would argue wasn't exactly the peak of the "education for knowledge and truths" type of university culture that dark academia aligns itself with. Although I do think that that period of time was probably the last era where we saw universities operate as institutions of thought and knowledge and not businesses like we see now.
In that sense I definitely agree that dark academia/light academia could be considered counterculture to the way universities currently operate. Especially considering dark academia's philosophy of acquiring knowledge for the sake of acquiring knowledge (and also personal enjoyment)
Neo-aesthetic is a much fancier term than "never left my Goth phase", and actually covers all my interests. Brilliant. Thank you.
I love this! Can I quote you! :-D
@@robyneericacalvert5910 *blushes* sure!
Is not a phase mommmm! Hahaha
Goth is a MUSIC based subculture, not a clothing style phase. Try doing some research before spreading misinformation about the subculture that I love, and have been a part of for two decades.
@@nightchild4468 THIS ^^^^
I've always felt like cottagecore and dark academia have interlinked so well with Victorian fashion. For instance, I just finished making a dark academia version of a replicated 1890-91 walking suit, and you can find so many examples of walking suits from the late Victorian/early Edwardian periods that feel exactly as if they would fit into today's dark academia aesthetic. Wonderful video Abby!
Fascinating. My sister and I (in our 70s) spent thé pandemic buying and wearing linen dresses from Lithuanian sellers on Etsy, with no idea that we were part of a movement. We are now trying to figure out how to move out into the world, while retaining our newly discovered styles ( which nevertheless remind me of my hippie youth ) . It’s hard when you are old and everyone expects you to wear seasonal sweaters, clamdiggers and Fanny packs.
I am sure you both look stunning!
I guess if unlike me who has worn homemade long flowing garments all her life - I'm 72 - and never cared what people think it's a bit late to start but you could try. People mostly think about how they look not others though.
@Carodeux I would like to pass on something my gram said the other day (she’s 83)- “I’m an old lady. I can wear whatever I want now.” What she was getting at was that people except “old ladies” to dress “weird” (not like them) anyway so she might as well wear what she liked. (In her case, pastel prints as she was always told that as a plus sized person she has to wear dark solid colors.) Age gives you license to be “eccentric” (ignore certain social expectations in the name of comfort and happiness
@@sadurkee5 thanks for the kind words.
Yeah there are so many amazing linen clothing makers in Lithuania and Bulgaria and Latvia on etsy, I just got two lovely wrap dresses from one and it's SO well made. I just have to make my own too rather than being lazy and buying them haha!
Im personally trying to make my style "indiana Jones goes to LA and finds an annoying Armenian American assistant" lmao
🤩😍🥰 yes! Sounds amazing!
I would watch that
I love that for you
Lmao you have videos on making a pinafore and making a weasly sweater?! Subscribed!
It's more than just the pandemic that has caused the surge in cottage core and such. I think it is because so much of our world is cold, crass and loud that we are craving warm, elegant and quite. We have also become very disconnected from nature, and a lot of the cottage core aesthetic are natural things. When looking at cottage core pictures they are usually outside in nature, or they have wooden and glass things around them. While the modern world is an amazing place we have lost a lot of what it means to be human too.
With cottagecore, I think there's also a longing for self-improvement and productivity that doesn't fit the capitalist, workaholic mindset. It seems to be a lot about doing the things you love and working for yourself and stopping whenever you need to. You cultivate your garden, you cook, you sew, you do some woodworking - but you also sit down to drink your tea and think about life whenever you feel like doing so.
Similarly, dark academia seems to have a certain emphasis on intellectual work, something that's outside the reach of most young people these days since it requires years of basically unpaid dedication before you can afford to make a living out of it - unthinkable for most of us right now. With dark academia we can all kind of be poets and philosophers and thinkers for a while.
@@mariaah3073 yes- the emphasis on the humanities and arts within dark academia I think reflects the distaste for them within greater capitalist society. How long have we (especially millennials, who have been pushed to University as purely a career-making decision), heard that Arts and Humanities degrees are “would you like fried with that?” degrees? We’ve been told all our lives that we can’t study what interests us, only what would make us money.
And that disdain for the Arts has resulted in a backlash to it in the Dark Academia movement. Dark Academia values poetry and literature. It values education for education’s sake. So like cottagecore is a backlash to modern capitalist society, so too is Dark Academia.
That being said, I find that there are two very different “cottage core”/traditionalist movements. One is very aligned with Dark Academia in that it is a backlash to capitalism specifically, and the vast majority of the people I know who take part tend to be on the left side of the political spectrum. But, there’s also been a growing backlash to feminism and modern social justice movements that also has a traditionalist appearance, where you have a rise in the valuing of “traditional housewives”, who stay home, look after the children, cook, and who are also very much against modern society, but for very different reasons. These latter group also have a very strong connection to white supremacist movements (Wife With a Purpose is a good example of this, and for a good look into the women of far right wing movements, I highly recommend Mad Blender’s video on the topic).
But while there is certainly an element of elitism within Dark Academia, I think the focus on education means there’s not quite the same issue of far right wing movements using a similar aesthetic.
Very true.. I think covid has made people slow down and think just a little about how messed up the world we now live in is.. messed up.. to say the least.
@@mariaah3073 What you are describing is what Marx would call "unalienated work". As opposed to the alienated work that capitalism demands from us.
@@mariaah3073 right like can we just do things for the sake of doing things? Not for any specific purpose or to intentionally make money off of? just chill and make something like to just create and live and just be and make art without someone telling me I need to sell it and profit or asking what I’m going to do with my art
You know I usually call myself a cottagecore hipster, but "neo-aesthete" sounds so much cooler.
Abby, could there be another side to this? Not about escapism, but something else (when actually worn in daily life and not as an aesthetic photo shoot). I’ve always been drawn to this style. However, as this style wasn’t popular, the fashion was accessible to only those that could sew (and afford yards of comfortable fabric) or could afford niche brands that didn’t follow trends (so they’d be pricier as this wouldn’t be fast fashion). Furthermore, wearing this style would effectively put a bull’s eye on you in public for attention one may not be comfortable with.
The pandemic has evoked a new attitude: I’m stuck isolated anyways and I might as well wear what makes me happy. Thus individuals have been empowered to have courage to wear and invest in what they like regardless of what society might think of them. Everyday physical interaction in society (beyond going to grocery stores) promotes a need for social acceptance, thus a conformity to socially popular mode of dress.
I have also loved this style. I remember once, not quite this style, but I wore a lovely wool plaid checkered vest over a crème long-sleeved blouse with a long lacy collar and trim and a vintage cloche black wool hat. To West Yellowstone. Got stared at for the entire meal at the restaurant we were at.
That’s a very interesting idea! I wonder how the break down of cultural norms due to isolation has influenced ideological and moral movements? Like BLM, why now did it come to light? I think a distancing from cultural pressure to conform and ignore problems played a part. Maybe a small part, but still, it’s a very interesting idea.
@@ruthmeow4262 that sounds like a lovely outfit. And you were subject to negative reinforcement as their stares were rude (even if only benign and curious in the best case scenario). This is the social pressure to conform. Such a shame, really. I think society is super boring when everyone dresses the same. Clothing should be a way to express your design creativity (if that’s something one cares about, as I suspect most of Abby’s audience actually care even if they aren’t able to act on it in their daily lives). We have a whole history of different dress from many cultures across different time periods and yet there’s this boring homogeneity happening across the globe. Casual wear being identical. Suits being the default business uniform.
I think the rise of "geek culture" and the increase in cosplaying events has also increased enthusiasm for making and wearing something that you can't buy in the shops because it's outside the mainstream.
@@chloemannsberger-tetreault1364 I think BLM has more to do with accessibility to information (videos) and the recent advancement of social media. Historically, activist movements were limited to word of mouth and boots on the ground. If the local papers were keeping your issues invisible, there was only so far you could spread your message.
With social media, you’re getting not only confirmation of how many people support your message but you’re getting a congregation of voices that would normally never get to communicate. It allowed BLM to organize quicker and spread the message faster.
One of the factors that affects the success of a movement is how fast you’re able to spread a message or information. A message last heard from over a year ago may no longer signal as relevant to the brain so you’re less likely to get involved. Part of the pesky thing the brain does in an effort to only focus on new information to adapt to your environment. That’s why activist movements had to periodically physically attend meetings and rally morale. Keep the message fresh.
You have to remember, humans evolved in tribes and villages over millions of years, much smaller numbers where social issues were brought to light very fast and fought over. It’s only in the last few thousand years that we see few examples of dense populations and sparsely spread apart citizens under the control of countries. Our evolution hasn’t caught up to our need to manage large societies in a fair manner. We’re still the same primitive people who seek out people who share our ideas and then we form cliques against outsiders and refuse to compromise. If you’ve ever watched parliamentary “discussion” you’ve seen grown adults acting with the decorum of children on the playground (minus the obvious name calling, but the insults are still there).
I see some feminist blossoming going on in the joyful embrace of folksy linen clothing. As a Gen X woman I've lived through a lot of eras of spandex and body-con fashion in which there was no place to hide. Big sleeves and giant wrinkly skirts take up a lot of space being fabulous, and you as the wearer get to decide what you want to present. Let's never go back.
I dress "modestly" (whatever that means) because I'm observantly Jewish and this has always been my take on it.
I love that I have full control over who has access to my body. If I want to wear a pencil skirt I can but if I don't there's no pressure. If I decide I want to start wearing trousers, same goes.
My relationship with clothing is such that I don't need to worry about people staring at my body unless i invite it. They might stare because it's 30* and I'm in 3/4 sleeves but they can only see what I allow.
That's definitely part of it. As comfortable as leggings are, I hate how some guy is going to yell at me out of a car window if I go for a walk wearing them. I'm confident and proud of my body, but those interactions always gross me out. If I'm wearing an ankle-length circle skirt, nobody comments on my butt.
Brava!
also going to point out that there's no room for pockets in tight clothes but I have a skirt that has pockets big enough to fit my whole forearm :D
@@saritshull3909 you should check out Bernadette Banners video on pockets - she talks about pockets so big in the past you could fit a loaf of bread or a chicken in them! Goals.
... Maybe not the chicken.
Yes, Liziqi is another kind of cottagecore as well.
She perfectly shows a modified, idealized Chinese countryside, which doesn't exist nether in the historical photos, nor in my grandparents's memories.
I've always regarded that sometimes fantasizing the past is dangerous, it's another way to loose historical or cultural meanings.
Although personally I feel the same nostalgia, It should be as important showing the bad, realistic side of the past.
Yes, it's essential to know the real history of the moments you're drawing aesthetics from, because that romantic yearning for an imagined past gets very dangerous very quickly without that knowledge. Yes, skills like sewing, gardening, and baking are great (I do all three myself), but online homesteading spaces are absolutely rife with white nationalism, and it's not always in-your-face chants of BLOOD AND SOIL. A lot of times it's a thin, conventionally attractive white woman extolling the virtues of "natural" things and rejecting "modern life." And it's only subtly revealed what "natural" and "modern" really mean, which makes it easier to slide in the propaganda. I'm gonna get heavy for a minute, but it's the feminine equivalent of St*rmfront's meme recruitment guide.
Also she is sort of reconsidered as communist China propaganda because of the fact that she is broadcasted so well and that she is allowed to be so successful outside of China.
Remember you are only allowed to see what the Communist party is allowing you to see
Lizqi is a gardening genius
i love liziqi, lately it seems clearer that she's creating her own aesthetic and doing her own thing, like making a dining table with a river flowing through it, her own idea executed with traditional and modern tools and inspired by a tv show and old chinese culture. she's not a mountain grandma, but she's got a mountain grandma and a modern sense of aestheticism and she can do whatever she wants however she wants, and thats probably why it feels less like romanticized countryside living lately. its like bernadette banner, old techniques, modern sensibility and 100% aestheticism, because she makes it to fit her own tastes moreso than strictly recreating the past which is why i enjoy her content so much as well. i wanna see their visions of a prettier world yeah
@@Crosshill The dinner table made me emotional, her grandma was so sweet .
This whole explanation just put the Portuguese word "saudade" in my head. Roughly translates to the emotion of nostalgia for a past that never really existed or longing for a future that cannot be, amongst other definitions.
Exactly that!!!
"Your bows are a sham, your sashes are delusions" DEAD hahah
Hearing that whole tirade made me think of Lolita fashion like. That same criticism has been levied against it XD
I hadn't entirely connected the two, but I definitely used the pandemic as a space to explore dark cottagecore as an aesthetic. I've been a supporter of unique/handmade/small businesses for a while, but hadn't really converted my wardrobe yet. Now I dress dark cottagecore almost every day, and nearly everything I wear either has a story, or I can literally tell you the name of the person who made it.
A little while ago I converted my pantry into using mason jars for dry good storage over supermarket packaging for the #aesthetic of it. Now it seems ridiculous to go to the grocery store just to throw away packaging once I get home, so I'll be supporting my local co-op instead and buying dry goods package-free. Dark cottagecore is serving as a gateway to sustainability. I already save all my chicken bones to make my own bone broth, so next step is to learn canning so I don't have to take up freezer space.
Aesthetics aren't always just about dressing up, and I appreciate that you touched on that. It can leak into all parts of life. What's more cottagecore and fulfilling than biscuits and jam you made yourself?
FYI; check your local libraries before buying canning materials, some loan out canning supplies. You'll want a pressure canner for broth. If you already knew that, please forgive me.
@@ladyariananorth woah, really? I didn't know that, that's cool that some libraries do that. My mom cans and she often gets her jars second hand, like at estate sales (just make sure they are
actual canning jars like Ball, can be dangerous otherwise). She has also found a couple vintage pressure cookers seccond hand that look pretty *aesthetic.*
I totally understand your choice and celebrate this. Congratulations and welcome to the light Luna. Have fun and find joy as you explore further.
Maybe people like us are old souls? 😀
Yes! I love homemade biscuits and jam. Some of that also bleeds into many people's desires for a healthier lifestyle, and you don't get healthier than growing and making your own food. The circle I'm in has been moving towards that for a decade, but I have seen it increase even more since 2020. I think it's great for people to want to be more self sustainable and learn invaluable skills to feed themselves and take care of their families, especially as giant corporations and government continues to control and squash choices and taint almost everything sold. The dress part of it is the last for me, as I have moved more and more towards sustainability and supporting small/local businesses. Wanting to wear natural fibers, cover myself, and be more feminine as come with age and change in values.
I'm so glad you mentioned the internationality of neo-aesthetics! I know when cottagecore first came out, it looked SO much like a westernized version of Japanese Mori-kei fashion to me, I was a little put off.
Now, I think both are just branches of a neo-aesthetic tree. That mori-kei and cottagecore are aesthetic movements from different countries, with a basic look and underlying theme (return to simpler times/styles), but with slightly different focuses in details.
Great video! Much love! 💘
I'm glad someone else has recognized this overlap. I'm a fan of both styles.
Is there a park ranger/hiker core? I'm always dressed like I'm about to go for jog in the woods.
Same. It's just so comfy and practical! IMO it's sort of a cousin of cabincore, and maybe even a sibling of campcore?
Sounds potentially related to Rachel Maksy's archeologist/explorer/What Would Evie Wear looks.
Campcore is now my official aesthetic.
I'm always dressed like I'm about to go for athletics training
Same. Granted, I work with dogs and very well might go on a hikes at just about any moment!
5:25 This is the most BRUTAL roast I've ever heard I am saving this to use later god damn... It's like calling someone fake or two-faces but so much more personal and powerful skjdkldjkbd
I always just assumed cottagecore was knowingly referencing Victorian aestheticism, particularly like Pre-Raphaelite paintings, but maybe it's less culturally generally known outside of the UK (as a brit). can't say I know much about cottagecore tho
On a personal note, seeing youtubers like Bernadette Banner and Rachel Maksy wear all the gorgeous Olde things gave me the mental permission to start living my best generic fantasy background character life and I'm so thankful
"It's like Time Travel" this is why I love including as much renaissance fashion as I can into daily close, and full on when the Renaissance Faires are happening.
Much appreciate the clarification that English is different from Scottish and indeed British. Occurs to me sending Oscar Wilde to explain English concept somewhat ironic has he was Irish! Love your videos, thank you very much.
Perhaps he was able to see the English clearer _because_ he himself wasn’t English.
While social media has certainly made it easier for subcultures to spread, it certainly isn't a new phenomenon. I believe the 60s and 70s saw a big late Victorian/Edwardian revival as well.
The 80s was when"Victoria" magazine started publishing from my recollection. Mom used to get it.
Based on my knowledge of those eras starting in the 70's and going into the 80's really based on a lot of blouse styles that were popular. However the 2000's had a 60's revival and we are seeing that and y2k fashion also trending
@@samsingsongss yes, I have seen a lot of y2k style fashion trending. I drove past the Middle School the other day and the styles were exactly the same as when I went to that middle School in 1996. I think some of us who are leaning toward cottagecore maybe don't want to embrace rewearing outfits they wore in middle school, regardless of how stylish .
Yes, I was just thinking of this! Photos of my mom and her friends during the early 80s in their Gunne Sax dresses have a bit of a cottage core feel to them.
Absolutely! Especially with the British folk Rock movement (Steeleye Span, Pentangle, the Carthys) of the late 60s, which re-introduced English folk songs, and which coincided with Carnaby Street hipness, the witchcraft revival, Clark & Birtwell dresses, re-discovery of the Bloomsbury crowd. Lots of English Thomas Hardy films made in the late '60s. It was cottage core with an alternative twist. Then the Americans ran with it in "rediscovering" bluegrass, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid/Malick's Days of Heaven, the Foxfire Appalachian craft book series, Alex Haley's Roots, and prairie style dresses anticipating the Bicentennial of the U.S.
The hippies were intensely cottage core... when they were not being revolutionaries which required an old army coat at the very least.
I am old enough that my childhood was heavily influenced by 'hippy culture' I wore gunne sax dresses as a teen. This 'movement' is very familiar to me.
Oh shoot, I now realized I'm partly into gothic cottagecore. I didn't know it was a thing until today. I've been really into Victorian era aestheticism since I was a child. Both the masculine & feminine aspects of that time.
Same here! I've been goth in my teens and slowly shifted to Victorian/Edwardian goth and blending into cottage core since a few years.
It's so neat and almost supernaturally eerie that we collectively now use the term 'aesthetic' and in a similar connotation that was used in the Victorian era without an awareness of it's previous existence. At least I didn't know 'aesthetic' was a thing back then. Humans are fascinating.
As you are probably aware there was an earlier neoasthetic revival during the 1960 s and seventies. There was a strong interest in Victorian fashion and ethnic clothing natural fabric and dyes, the back to the land movement,and the revival of William Morris, art nouveau, and many crafts. This influenced the hippy movement and lead to the creation companies like Folkwear patterns. I wonder how aware many of the current cottagecore people are of this earlier revival.
Yes!! During this video I was wondering... If neo-aesthetics are "a way of life" and could (only) develop itself due to the pandemic, what are hippies then? They are/were also a way of life... And what about punks or goths etc.
I was just wondering... These neo-aesthetics don't feel "neo" (new) to me. It seems like every decade or so there was some kind of subculture/ neo-aesthetic, some bigger and more prominent then others but still there.
Oh, to have been a fly on the wall for those conversations…this was really fascinating!! The Arts and Crafts movement (in particular), and much of “neo-aestheticism” speaks to me more so on the levels of sustainability, comfort, and self-reliance, than of a sense of beauty, but I can’t say beauty isn’t an influence. My rekindled love of knitting and the rather challenging endeavor of teaching myself the art of tatting (well, challenging nearly 30 years ago as there was no UA-cam! 😁) came from the sadness I felt at watching my grandmother’s needles, shuttles, and hooks gather dust in a closet.
Thank you so much for the links as there’s a rabbit hole calling my name, now! You are a vestibule of fascinating knowledge!! Be well, have a beautiful week out of the heat (southern Idaho is feeling it, too), and Happy Juneteenth!
I was thinking about releasing the full zoom meetings on Patreon, but they're *long*...I should probably put a poll out and see what you all want/think...😂
@@AbbyCox what if you put out the audio files. you can split them up and then I'll get some new podcasts to listen to :)
Gosh! What an interesting topic. I’m pretty curious what future generations will think when they look back to these days. Will this be a blip? Where are we going from here? In a year will the embroidery hoops and dreamy dresses be donated or will this keep growing and evolving for some time? Thank you for such an informative video and introducing me to Dr. Calvert! Off to deep dice that blog…
I really hope we see further (positive) impact from these aesthetics and subcultures. I think there are a lot of good things that can/have come out of them already. I'm looking forward to watching and seeing how it evolves...
I think much like how some people never left the "hippie" aesthetic/lifestyle (depending) and newer generations found it this will be something that lasts even if it isn't as large or popular down the line. We'll see aspects resurge in the social consciousness, new movements with similar ideas and vibes will crop up, and all the while there will be those for who this is it and this is what is for them, for life.
Yo I hope they’re donated 😂 this has been my style for years, and I only thrift or aww my own clothes, so that would be a jackpot!
It was an ABSOLUTE DELIGHT to do this with you my friend! And what a joy to meet Vivienne, such a fan! Really loving the thoughtful comments here too. Well done for all your hard work Abby!
Oh my god! I've been 'following' both of these trends for YEARS! I'm 60, and I wear long flowing skirts, corsets and hats; I embroider, write with fountain pens, read and read and read, etc etc. My 'style' is a confluence of these two.
1. This is so helpful for my ears. I keep hearing the word aesthetic used as a predicate adjective, and the usage has been driving me nuts. I figured it was a nomenclature issue, but I haven't had time to research.
2. The psychological/sociological underpinnings of the aesthetic movement explain why I don't really find it appealing even though I feel like I should. I don't long for the romanticism of England or the art for art's sake ornamentation. I enjoy learning about the construction methods, but when I think of wearing these garments, the ruffles and bows feel oppressive.
I'm attracted to the silhouettes of the 1930s and 1940's. I like the "make do and mend" of it all. The need to work within the constraints of the Great Depression and wartime rationing feels really purposeful to me. It suits my personality and lights up my brain. Your explanation of the impulse behind the Aesthetic Movement helped me understand something about myself.
3. My seven year old daughter and I have been playing the Lego Lord of the Rings videogame. Consequently, Magical England and Tolkien imagery has been haunting me. Looking forward to learning more. (BTW, my daughter is extremely disappointed that none of the characters can fly even though they "have capes.")
I live in a 600 year old thatched cottage in the English countryside (and absolutely *love* everything Olde England), but do not particularly connect with the aesthetic movement either... even though I also feel that I should.
I think cottagecore as a "certain slant of light" feeling was around for a very long time without ever being pinned down. The idea of it fell into place for me around 1990 when I read "Thornyhold" by Mary Stewart. It wasnt about the story as much as it was about the setting and the feel of the setting. Does that make sense?
Yes, absolutely! I'm 40 so, for me, a lot of Cottagecore is very reminiscent and derivative of the "romantic country" style that was so popular in the 1980s. Think Laura Ashley, Gunne Sax dresses, young Princess Di's style, home decor trends, etc. And yes, wholeheartedly agree that literature is a HUGE part of cottagecore! Thornyhold, Rose Cottage, Beatrix Potter, Barbara Michaels and Victoria Holt gothic romances, Brambly Hedge, Holly Pond Hill are all great examples of books that encompass the whole cottagecore and academia vibe for me!
I think the slow lifestyle and community minded living seems more human in many ways in a culture that often numbers us rather than names us. A desire to prioritize being a valued member of a community over the assertion of the personality in a career. While the assertion of the personality is often held up as the ideal, I think personality wise that is actually a minority of the overall population who derives the largest amount of life satisfaction from solely their career, but rather in cottage core a deliberate rebellion against that as the ideal but rather a balanced far more enriching balanced life as what most people desire and pursue.
I remember when I mostly wore 'cottagecore' items like 15years ago and my sister always said I should stop wearing those 'prude outfits' x')
First off, I dont know if I should call it a vest or a waist coat or what but whatever Abby is wearing I love it and I want it 😂😭
On a more ranty note, theres something I want to vent and, this seems the place to do it.
I have certain aesthetics, silhouettes, and pieces I love to see but don't like on me. Add in being a plus size woman with little to no money who wears 80% hand me downs because they are free and money is for other things, this leaves me in a place of very rarely wearing pieces that actually seem to express anything about me. Most of the time when Im dressing Im not aiming for expression. The most I get is to be happy if I just feel it looks good on my body even if its not the color, cut, fabric, and style Id choose for myself. This means I value even more the pieces that feel like me which leads me to saving them for special occasions for fear of ruining them (Im a klutz) or wearing them out. It makes me sad not to be able to express myself in this way. Even my hair doesn't feel like me as I cant bring myself to spend the money to get it cut more than once a year so for a few months I look in the mirror and see myself reflected in how I look, then it begins to grow out too much and the look changes.
Part of the reason I want to learn how to fit and sew pieces from scratch is so I can make things that actually feel like me. The problem is, there is a learning curve and in the beginning, there will be things I ruin and materials I waste, and I just cant afford it. I literally cant afford to go buy a thrift store table cloth and even try so I can gain the skills and its kind of heart breaking. There are plenty of things about being poor which wear away at you but in a world where people expect how you look to reflect who you are if feels like an extra dig. When Im at my lowest I actually need to step back from content that normally brings me joy cause I cant help thinking about the gap between what I want to do and the limits of my reality. Even when I do get to craft and create it always comes down to "can I sell this" as I cant justify spending the money on materials for myself.
I don't resent people who get to express themselves through how they dress. It just... is hard living in a world thats so much about presentation when you cant. Whats worse is cottage core and dark academia are my thing. When you look back at pictures of me when I was a kid and into my late teens its what I wore. So seeing things around everywhere that are me but not worn by me makes it hard to escape the feeling of lacking. Lacking from not having and lacking for a person who cant change that.
Thank you for expressing this, you are not the only one
I very much relate to your experience as a plus size woman and I've been teaching myself to sew for the same reasons. Fast fashion plus size offerings are so crummy, ill fitting and not reflective of who I am.
The economics of sewing are definitely not easy. To build your skills start small. Learn to repair/mend clothes. Take a scrap of fabric and make a sampler of stitches...learning and improving their stitches was why girls made samplers in the past. Practice altering on a garment that is about to end up in the rag pile, or take it apart and practice sewing the pieces back together so you get a feel for how pattern pieces go together, how a sleeve is set etc. I am only learning to hand sew, and since it is a much slower process I don't feel the pressure of having to buy lots of new fabrics.
The side hustle mindset I think has been very harmful to peoplr. Not every endevor has to have an immediate financial benefit. It is ok to view the learning process as your way of doing self care. I belong to a fb group called stitch meditations, where the folks use stitching small projects as a way to learn, grow and destress from the pressures of life. Some of them are building towards larger projects or improving techniques, others just find it relaxing to spend a minutes do a simple pattern in a scrap that then goes into the rag pile.
I agree with cincocats320. My eldest grew up in a situation that was hostile and poor, both together, so she feels very guilty about giving herself time or nice things. You cannot pour from an empty vessel. You need to care for yourself. I understand wanting to save the things, but as my husband points out, at some point, you will no longer be able to enjoy (saved item). Use it now, love it now. My mother, too, will buy a dozen cheap things that she doesn't really want because they are cheap and she can't bring herself to buy the one thing she really wants. Be more compassionate to yourself. (I know, that is very like handing you another potato when you need a peeler.)
Hi khaxjc1, I have been in your position many times and it is really hard and heart breaking. Escapism for some people is a bitter pill for others But in encouragement and to add to the other comment, about learning small, if you do ruin an item of clothing or curtain or sheet, or even have a second hand item that doesn't fit you, you can use fabric from that. You can cut it up no matter the fabric and use it to make 1/4 models of patterns to practice techniques etc. I hear they do this in fashion schools as it costs less in materials. I am terrible for asking to go through bags of stuff friends are clearing out or sending to the charity shop and my home has sometimes been a mess because of all the things I have ferreted away just in case because I couldn't afford to buy anything. What you do have is a wealth of free instruction and knowledge on you tube etc which wasn't around when I started when you had to buy a book or go on a course. There are also free patterns (look up penguin and pear channel for recommendations of free plus size patterns). This is in no way to diminish your very valid point (Unsolicited advice is sometimes bitter too) but just meant in solidarity and to be supportive.
Abby, could you make a video about the history of sleeves?
I was toying with the idea of doing 500 years of shoulders - would that be close enough??
@@AbbyCox Yes! That would be amazing!
@@benneufeld2315 Seconding the call for sleeves/shoulders, but I confess I'm very curious what background songs are going to be used. The boobs/butts histories had a wide range to choose from, whereas shoulders are less... celebrated.
Very much in favour of a history of sleeves and the shoulders they rested on.
@@AbbyCox oh man. I am all about that kind of video. I love that you talked about the freedom of movement with sleeves more than anything else. You put into words what I’ve felt for a long time.
I love the idea of using an aesthetic impulse to identify and find "your tribe".
The last time I saw this happen was with the Bytown Goth Community of the 90's (to the point where they wore pins on their civilian cloths to identify who was taking part in a live action roll-playing game). All of which drew heavily from the same Victorian Grannies.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
Wow! I'm also a Baroque violinist and violist, and was utterly shocked when Olivia said that she got into historical dress via historically-informed performance! I had no idea that someone with whom I have pretty much identical interests, from career goals to hobbies to side projects, existed.
I love how this brings art, history, and literature as well as fashion together. I remember reading about the aesthetes during my undergrad years but not really being able to visualize exactly what they were going for. Excellent video.
I wrote my master's thesis on the Aesthetic dress movement after hearing Dr Calvert speak at the Costume Society conference on Pre-Raphaelite dress.
Some thing I think it's worth adding to the discussion is class. Most Victorian Aesthetes were nouveau riche and the British aristocracy were incredibly hostile to outsiders and new comers. Aestheticism was a rejection of the established fashionable elite and was a way for people who lived outside of traditional society and it's morals to create a respectable public persona of there own, see Oscar Wilde, Ellen Terry, Michael Field etc.
I think the class aspect of the Neo-Aesthetics (love the term btw) are incredibly similar. A new generation is rejecting a capitalist elite that they can neither access nor support. Instead they are creating a word that reflects what they believe to be important: art, literature, nature and learning.
While i love cottagecore and Academia styles, i find Aesthetics to not be size inclusive, which is frustrating for a lot of people like myself that want to join in but face an extra hurdle.
For cottagecore specifically, id love to go about the same methods my peers do, but finding something in a thrift store thats aesthetic to wear is almost a laughing matter when i can barely thrift clothes in my size of a US26 (goodwills rack indicators cap out at a 22 and i just have to go in with a lot of hope). But even if i were someone that wanted to buy new i feel depressed because all the small businesses ive tried dont make my size. The two shops you showed in this video (as well as several others ive seen in the community) dont make for larger than a US 16/18.
Im not trying to blame anyone or say that aesthetics are fatphobic, its just something i dont really see discussed and often swept under the rug in the discussions. For a while its something i personally didnt realize since im someone that was already sewing and modifying my clothes and i have that access, know-how, and advantage where many others dont.
Yes.
Yes, I, too, checked out these shops. LOVED some of the clothing but the sizes are way too small. As a matter of fact, I tend to live in t-shirts and jeggings because I can't find the clothing I would really love to wear.
@@annbrookens945 My wardrobe at this point is practically a hobby because i have so many restrictions and rules for it. I dont wear synthetics, i dont buy fast fashion and stick to thrifting. Plus i want everything to be Aesthetic, so progress is really slow going especially since i no longer have time to be sewing regularly.
I agree! Trying to find some poofy sleeved tops in my size while thrifting has proven to be nearly impossible. I do sew, but am much less practiced with shirts than skirts and sometimes I just want to be able to go out and buy something ready-to-wear. I’m making a new outfit for Renn Faire this year and instead of a full shift to go under the dress, im going to make a poofy sleeved top that I can just add to my wardrobe after faire.
@@meagannavarre7228 a staple in my wardrobe for a long while has been a chemise like top with drawstring necks and sleeve cuffs lol theyre easy to make and comfy! Although i am needing to make more since all my other ones seem to have gotten lost in my moves over the last few years 😭
As someone who did her college senior thesis on Oscar Wilde’s neoclassical revival/aesthetic references as homosexual subtext in The Importance of Being Earnest and The Portrait of Dorian Grey, this entire video makes me So Dang Happy!!
Hi! I’m trying to decide on my educational path currently, what did u study? I’m trying to explore ideas but have no idea where to start.
That sounds fascinating, my goodness!
@@marisadaniela6 it was SO fun to research and write!!
Wow that sounds amazing, would love to read that!
@@melissabutts3791 It was nearly 20 years ago (#old) but if I can find the print version of it, I'll let you know!
My dad dubbed my fashion sense as "Grunge Mormon" and I've embraced it 😃
It makes me sad nobody talks about mori kei in these videos about cottagecore/forest aesthetic 😢
I feel like modern cottagecore owes a huge debt to mori kei that most people don't realize. Or the aesthetic is rebranded as "hobbitcore" oftentimes on IG. I'm a tiny creator, but I love mori kei and try to pay homage to it in styling quite often because it was making me sad too.
I love the Mori Kei aesthetic and it was an aesthetic that I wanted to dress in.
I can't help but get the feeling that Frith did that painting to hate on Oscar Wilde lol
As I wrote in a comment on Ruby Granger's aesthetics videos, I have spent my 55 years in light academia with occasional toe-dipping into dark academia with a side of cottagecore (how's that for mixing metaphors?).
Since my teen years in the late 1970s through mid-1980s, I have written on parchment paper with a fountain pen or quill by candlelight, gloried in 19th century English everything: literature, clothing, art, music. I am never happier than when the power goes out and I can light my oil lamp and candlesticks on my mantel and stir up the fire in the wood burning stove fireplace insert in our century-old stone fireplace, and play cards and board games with our grown kids by candlelight.
I often stay up late writing in the glow of a single candle in the dark house, a delicious Gothic shiver running up my spine. I adore the Brontes, Wilde, Wordsworth, Keats, the Rossettis, Tennyson, the Brownings -- my focus in grad school was medieval English literature, 19th century English literature, and poetry. I studied under and later taught with a professor who called could have doubled for John Keating in Dead Poets Society; he had taught in a New England boy's prep school in the 1950s and often stood on tables to declaim English Romantic and Victorian poetry ... several years before Dead Poets was released. He traveled the paths of Arnold's Scholar Gypsy on his annual visits to England, traveling with a backpack containing more books than clothing.
And my favorite artists are medieval (Fra Angelico) and the Pre-Raphaelites. So, although air do not sew or dress in this aesthetic (mostly because of finances), I am slowly moving in that direction. I guess I have just lived this aesthetic for the past forty years, thinking that I was all on my own in my weirdness. It's absolutely lovely to see all the things I adore and admire going a bit mainstream, at least online.
Thank you for this scholarly video explaining and evaluating these aesthetics, Abby. I love your channel and applaud all that you are doing!!!
Warmly,
Susanne, online teacher of Shakespeare, poetry, and grammar
Cottagecore, Neo-Aestheticism, Neo-Victoriana; whatever you want to label it has spoken to me my entire life, even before I knew anything about historybounding, etc. I am only now switching over my wardrobe from fast fashion (ok I don't sew so I am still buying my clothes, but I am doing it in a more educated and personal way), to my personal aesthetic. Thank you for this video Abby; I've always appreciated the educational value of your videos
I love dresses, I mostly wear dresses from artisans in Oaxaca Mexico, mexican dresses are so different depending on the state they are from and the Spanish influence on the population over the years. Thank you for the interesting videos Abby.❤️
It feels, to me, a continuation of “signature style“. My brain keeps saying Lenard Cohn, Mark Twain, Steve Jobs, Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks………… You see not just their faces but EXACTLY what they are wearing.
My mom was a YUGE fan of the Victoria magazine (all about the Victorian aesthetic in the house) when I was younger. She had an associate in interior design and a Bach in art history with an emphasis in preservation. I had a regular "gypsy skirt" preference for the longest time and I haven't yet replaced.
Ah, I adore Victoria mag! I started reading it when I was about 13 (am 40 now), and I'd say it was a major influence in my love for all things Victorian, British, and cottagecore today. I still subscribe bc, imo, it's one of the very few lifestyle and decor magazines that sticks to a beautiful, classic aesthetic and doesn't go in for every little trend.
I subscribed to Victoria for years! I wore contemporary clothing, though, that was more feminine and romantic. I was coming out of that phase when I married, and did a garden wedding at a Victorian house in the country, with a lace handkerchief hemmed dress that my mom made, and the bridesmaids in flowered cotton dresses that they made. I wanted it to be small cozy and handmade, like Meg’s wedding in Little Women.
Now I wear mostly 1960s vintage or that I’ve sewn from vintage patterns (I just scored an early Lilly Pulitzer yesterday and can hardly wait to wear it), and our house has what I call Midcentury Traditional style.
I do love the cottagecore look and have definitely been exploring elements of it as I try to make more and more of my own clothing. I like how it pairs nicely with history-bounding.
Cottagecore was something that I’ve been missing and longing for my entire life. And now that it’s widely known, identifiable and relatable to myself I’ve found the courage to truly be myself for the first time. It’s allowed me to slowly and gradually discover and become comfortable in my sexuality, style and goals. No matter how it came to be popularized, I’m glad it’s allowed so many people to be comfortable!
my husband and i had a giggle hearing you hum Butter at the end, and then it got even better when you inserted the clip?! already an amazing video, and that just made my day 😭😂
Dark Academia resonates more with me because growing up, I was, and still am, fascinated by period dramas like The Remains of The Day, Howards End, Sense & Sensibility, and Brideshead Revisited. My family also celebrates and emphasizes continuous learning, which could be considered a core ideal of DA.
Cottage-Core I don't much care for, although I do understand it. The rural idyll is wonderful, and I hope I'm not alone in wanting to escape into a Tasha Tudor illustration. But at the same time, I come from a farm family, and it can be difficult to reconcile the Cottage-Core romanticization of rural and farming life with the cold, harsh reality of farm life that my family lived and documented for the past 300-odd years. Even though we no longer shear sheep, milk cows, or even thrash wheat, we still tramp through snow tapping trees, spend hours boiling maple sap into maple syrup, and constantly try to find new ways to make the farm break even.
The Rural Idyll is not a new idea, but it is still a tempting one.
All the same, Neo-Aesthete is a perfect descriptor, and one that I will most likely employ, being that life is to short to be surrounded by ugly things, and I've always been fascinated by the Aesthetic and Artistic movements.
Wow, wasn’t expecting the Cloisters at Glasgow Uni to pop up! That was a blast back to my student days, hiding under them in the constant rain 😂😂 Another great video!
I heard a very quick nod to Goth fashion, but what about acknowledgment to the Japanese styles of Haru Juku, such as Lolita/Dark Lolita and Mori styles? Both Dark Academia and Cottage Core seem very much to me like outgrowths of these aesthetics. And don't forget the hippy-dippy flower girls of the late 1960's and '70's with our long flowing skirts and romantic peasant blouses! (When you've been around long enough, you see these trends/aesthetics cycle 'round and around!)
It's not England that captures the imagination- it's Wales where the Authurian legends come from. This in turn inspired the Romantics and pre raphaelites
As someone who studies musicology and is super into Early Music, seeing you having an interview with someone who not only plays Early Music but also gets the visuals (clothing etc.) to match the music, made me really happy. Usually musicians who play Early Music, especially on a more academic level, don't put the extra effort of dressing accordingly to the music they're playing.
I really wish more musicians would do this because it would make the experience of enjoying fractions of the past even better.
Abby: Links “Why cottagecore is so gay”
Me: immediately clicks link, watches all of it, returns
Abby: Suggests Takes “Dark Truths” and Ruby Granger’s videos
Me: -__- Um... yeah, not doing that
Abby: “Or not, and continue to live that chaotic good life”
Abby looking out for ppl just like me 🤣
I’m glad you watched Rowan! She’s 10/10! 🤣❤️
☺️ I would like to thank you personally Abby. You’re videos have been an invaluable source of research materials and perspectives as I try to figure out where I want to get my masters. I have a bachelor in Anth but have been kinda stuck trying to figure out the next step. Because of you I know that I want to do historical reenactment and ethnographic studies. So thank you for helping me with that
I wonder if aestheism (I hope I spelled that right. Auto-correct had a meltdown) inspired Waterhouse to create paintings like "The Lady of Shallote". (And auto-correct kept trying to change to shallots. Sigh.) He clearly embraced medieval fantasy.
* aestheticism (it's a b**** to spell)
Well Waterhouse was one of the Pre-Raphaelites and the calling back to the medieval era before the Renaissance was their whole thing. I don't know which came first the Pre-Raphaelites or the Aestheticism, but they are definitely interconnected.
Oh wow! This view of artistic subcultures really helps explain goth and metal as well! It's so nice to hear about historical subcultures, they are so rarely talked about.
My 2009 year 12 art project self is utterly vindicated, having spent the entire year drawing Marie Wallen Rowan knits and etchings of Christchurch's Neogothic Arts Centre
For me, cottage core feels like a safe alternative to the hippie aesthetic I’d always been drawn to growing up, the focus on environmental concern remains, and the utility of thrifting and up cycling vintage clothing remains, but it doesn’t have the same focus on multiculturalism that so often ended up just being cultural appropriation e.g. burning man...
I will admit part of the appeal of the hippie aesthetic for me had been an attempt to distance myself from “whiteness” in the hopes of broadcasting to others that I was a “good person” ... it was only later that the storm of media outrage over cultural appropriation online drove me to distance myself from that aesthetic as well, to the point of really only wearing plain black, white, and grey sweaters, black slacks, and black vans for many years...
To me, the new “Eurocentric” aesthetics have felt like a safe alternative and have given me some much needed guidance to find more options for what I can wear without really having to worry about upsetting anyone, I do understand why it would seem like a bad time to embrace European history, but I’ve found a lot of comfort in wearing fashion that doesn’t feel “stolen”
e.g. Tartans and plaids, argyle, tweed, Aran wool sweaters, the claddagh, houndstooth, chevron, Oxford leather shoes, berets, flat caps, capes, pin striping, polka dots, & lace, etc.
also, ethically sourced accessories from Europe, like black jet, Scottish pearls, and Russian malachite...
even styles from before Columbus, when Europe practiced it’s own indigenous traditions... (Celtic paganism for example w/ the triskelion and vibrant blue Pictish tattoos, and face paint & Ukrainian paganism w/ seed bead bracelets, and beautiful flower crowns, etc.)
I could listen to the back and forth between an art historian and a fashion historian all day. Two of my favourite things.
While I’m not super into “cottagecore” or any defined aesthetic, general Aestheticism for me has been a reconnecting with my roots.
I’m a descendant from Scottish & Irish immigrants who came to Australia in part due to the erasure of their culture in their homelands.
I’ve found it interesting this burst in popularity for aestheticism.
I’ve long been considered a “weird one” for my lifestyle choices, & now others are asking how I found/made X, Y, or Z…
I agree. I have been seeking a “historical” life my whole life. It has been about finding connection with the past, providing context to my life story, catching the babies that were inadvertently tossed with the bath water… It’s kind of weird to see my interests become “trendy”.
So what you’re saying is, is that historybounding is not new? That’s so cool!
Thank you so much for this video, hearing from Voriaugh's founder Vivian was absolutely wonderful. I changed my career to be a luthier specializing in baroque guitars, and hearing a musician describe the time travel that we can experience by playing on the historically appropriate instrument was really wonderful for me.
I think it's important to remember that these styles are not inherently ethically manufactured, and many companies manufacture them with the same ethos as any other fast fashion trend. Most manufacturers are also blissfully ignorant of associations related to folk costumes of specific regions, so it would be recommendable to do proper research before plunging into a style for style's sake.
Yay, this just arrived in my notifications (all the way to Australia!!!). I’m going to save this until I finish watching my true crime documentary. Although I’m pretty sure that I won’t be able to wait that long.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and thoughts, I really appreciate the amazing effort that you put into your videos. 🙂🐿❤️
17 minutes later....I’m baaaaaack 🤪
This is such a fascinating topic! I’m sitting here wanting an entire course about aestheticism! I also want to check out Voriagh now! Thanks Abby! 🥰
i am LOVING the influx of academic/research-based video essays on cottagecore and other neo-aesthetics!!
As someone from Scandinavia I take a lot of inspiration from my heritage, with 1800's Norwegian romanticism, 1940's style of dress and even some Viking age influences here and there.
I'm seeing a lot of talk in the comments about what cottagecore is in response to, but less about Dark Academia, so I'm going to throw out my thoughts on that.
Dark Academia seems like it's a response to the commodification of education. So many people who were told that the purpose of going to college was to get a degree that would get you a good job regardless of where their actual interests lay. Dark academia stresses the arts and humanities (If We Were Villains, one of the big DA books is about a bunch of Shakespearean actors at a conservatory). There's also a love of the older style of college buildings with their gothic/cathedral/castle style architecture rather than more modern, brutalist buildings. In a world where we are increasingly pushed towards reading everything on a glowing screen, DA prizes books, especially heavy hard cover books.
One of the things I really like about Dark Academia is how it values learning and curiosity, regardless of where your interests lie (though some "fit better" into the aesthetic), it's the desire to learn more about something that's the most important part.
I absolutely agree with your points. I also enjoy DA's emphasis on curiosity! I think you're definitely right that the stress on the humanities in DA may have arisen due to those fields being less easy to enter into as full time professions, and thus students of such fields are seen by the DA community as being "purer" in their pursuit of learning for the sake of learning. Honestly, this aspect of DA saddens me; I'm in STEM, and it's disheartening to see many DA followers exclude STEM fields from DA (intentionally or not) and/or assume that people who study STEM are somehow more shallow or mercantile than those who study the humanities! If only I could convey to them the wonder us scientists feel when that mathematic proof finally clicks in your head or you come out of an hours-long journal article binge brimming with questions... curious people experience universal feelings no matter the subject
@@mirandak7242 That's definitely one of its big flaws. Part of it definitely arises from seeing STEM fields being pushed as The Path To A Career, but I think part of it might come from a lot of STEM being hard to visualize as something you can do in your home in an analog form (which is silly because I see talk of DA's scent profile being used chalk and tweed jackets and that makes me instantly think of a chalkboard covered in math).
@@mirandak7242 I am a historian by education and my husband is an engineer. I see what the K-12 schools are doing in the US to force students to study STEM to the exclusion of history and the arts, so we have chosen to find a school that holds all of them in BALANCE. STEM is great - and we wouldn't have lives as easy as we do without the STEM fields! BUT when STEM is focused on to the exclusion of history & the humanities, then *I* feel like it is not balanced. Yes, know the basics of science and math at an age-appropriate level. But if you can't tell me how many continents there are by 6th grade, I don't care how well you code. (And yes, this is a real-life example from when I was substitute teaching a few years back.) Obviously, there can be HUGE joy found in math or science - when a particularly elegant solution presents itself when you've been struggling with a particularly thorny problem - and I can see a DA/Cottagecore love of elegant simplicity in those solutions. I'm just hopeful that the discussion gets steered back to balance overall - encouraging love of learning BECAUSE of love of learning. :)
@@thebookwyrmslair6757 I heartily agree that STEM and the humanities should be weighted equally in schools! I'm not just a scientist -- I am an (amateur) prose author, poet, actor, and a massive fan of history, so you're preaching to the choir here! (Side note: the idea that many buy into that you can either like the humanities or like STEM is not only blatantly incorrect, as in my case, but harmful to everyone, as it discourages people from branching out and trying new things!) We absolutely need to make sure our education systems create well-rounded, balanced individuals with a solid knowledge base in all subjects, not just one or two. However, I'm a bit confused as to why you brought this up in reply to my particular comment. My point was that STEM is excluded in the *DA community,* not that it's excluded from the US education system. Although luckily the humanities and STEM were equally stressed in my schooling (for me, it was the arts that were unfairly pushed to the side :( ), I agree that there is more of a tendency for STEM to be overemphasized than for the humanities to be overemphasized. But in the DA community, I *have* seen the exclusion of STEM, which is why I made my comment. Don't worry, there's no undervaluing of the humanities from my quarter!
@@mirandak7242 Hi! My comment wasn't directed at you personally, more of what I'm seeing valued in American / Western society as reflected in the current education system and the need for balance and seeing the beauty of both STEM & The Arts. :) Your comment merely reminded me that systems out of balance will find ways to regain balance - and perhaps DA is a cultural way for students who did not have much art, culture, etc. to begin to explore what they have or are missing. Certainly there are enough like-minded parents for my kids' school to flourish. Sorry that I didn't explain my thought more clearly the first time. :)
I was just thinking about how it could be kind of fun to do an updated version of Patience poking fun at the cottagecore movement so this is EXTREMELY up my alley!
Omg ❤️ What a great video! There is so much good and elaborate research in it. This is awesome!!!
Thank you so much for including me in your video. That means a lot to me.
I couldn't agree more with the point that Cottagecore is more than just clothing and interior design:
During the lockdown here in Germany last year, I went through movies and books like Anne of Green gables and Little Women and fell in love with a beautiful, slow and sustainable lifestyle. Since then I have received so much positive feedback through my community on social media, even though I have always experienced hate because of my skin color. The Cottagecore Community has such a tremendously positive and supportive spirit that it has since made me much more confident and joyful myself. 😊🌸
AHHH!!! I'm so happy to hear you like the video! 😍 I was so excited to find your UA-cam and IG when I was doing research for this video - I love your content and I think you're a lovely example of the cottagecore aesthetic, and I'm glad that you've found so much support within the community! ❤❤❤
I love these video essays! Thank you so much for making these!
This video is fantastic and I really look forward to seeing more about this!
Such an insightful video essay, thank you Abby!
i’m so excited for this new video, i’ve been waiting for another Abby video.
Excellent!! This all made so much sense Thank you.
This video was the highlight of my Sunday, thank you!
Thank you for sharing!
Loved this video!!! Thanks for all the hard work & passion you put into it. 💖💖
Loooooved this video!!!! I’m going to watch it again. There is so much information that I need to digest!
loved this video!!
Great video, Abby!! Really well-researched and put together!
Abby, this was amazing! Thank you 💗
Aaaaaah I want to know so much more! (Also so much gorgeous outfits!)
This is such a brilliant video, thank you!
great video abby! I love the research by Dr. Calvert & the interview with Voriagh
Amazing video as always.
I wanted to point out : the subtitles are very weird at times. I use subtitles because of audio processing issues, but I can make do without, so I could really notice the weirdness. Like, at some point, “romanticisation” becomes “whole maximization” and it’s one of the less confusing occurrence.
Amazing work again, Abby! Gonna have to watch this back again to fully soak it up 🤓
My dear, this is a masterpiece. Thank you! I'm all in for this kind of content (not necessarily cottage core, but history of fashion with academics and designers and art). LOVE.
Thanks for sharing!
This was such a well crafted video! I loved the cameos and you put it all together really well. I always feel like I learn a ton from you!💕
Such a good video! Thank you so much, I love videos like this.
Such a fun hand sew chat and lots of interesting info! Thanks for posting this video!
Absolutely fascinating! Thank you SO MUCH all of you ladies - gorgeous
I loved this video! it was super interesting to learn more about this topic that I've been skirting around the edge on! I've loved it for years but I've never really dived too deep into it
I can watch and listen to videos like this all day, all week and all month long! I love the information! ❤️❤️❤️